1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retaining structure of a connector for retaining a terminal portion in a connector housing of the connector without forming a clearance therebetween. In particular, the present invention relates to a retaining structure suited for a high-frequency coaxial connector used in the connection of a car wire harness.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-98061, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electronic equipments and parts are mounted on current automobiles, and wire harnesses and connectors have been used in the connection of such electronic equipments and so on. Various connectors are known, and such a related connector will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13.
In this connector 31, a terminal portion 34 is inserted in a receiving portion 33, formed in a connector housing 32, and is retained against withdrawal therefrom. The terminal portion 34, shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, is formed by forming an electrically-conductive, resilient flat member (made, for example, of brass) into a generally trough-like shape. Wire clamping piece portions 36 are formed at one end of the terminal portion 34, and wire conductor-clamping portions 38 are formed generally at a central portion of the terminal portion 34, and are separated from the wire clamping piece portions 36 by notches 35, respectively. Notches 37 are formed immediately adjacent to front ends of the conductor clamping portions 38, respectively.
A pair of spring portions 39 are formed at the other end portion of the terminal portion 34, and are defined by opposite side wall portions of the other end portion, respectively. A slit is formed in a bottom wall portion 41, so that that portion of the bottom wall portion 41, disposed between the two spring portions 39, forms a resilient-retaining piece portion 42.
A wire 43 is inserted into the terminal portion 34 as shown in phantom in FIG. 10, and a conductor 43a of this wire is electrically connected to the terminal portion 34 by pressing the conductor clamping portions 38, and the wire 43 is fixedly secured to the terminal portion 34 by pressing the wire clamping piece portions 36.
As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal portion 34, having the wire 43 thus fixed thereto, is received in the hollow receiving portion 33 formed in the connector housing 32. At this time, the resilient-retaining piece portion 42 is once retracted to a plane, in which the bottom wall portion 41 lies, by a surface of the connector housing 32 as shown in FIG. 12, and then when the insertion of the terminal portion 34 further proceeds, so that the resilient-retaining piece portion 42 reaches an opening 32a in the connector housing, the resilient-retaining piece portion 42 is restored into its original shape as shown in FIG. 13.
As a result, the terminal portion 34 is received in the connector housing 32, and a mating terminal 44 is inserted between the spring portions 39, and is electrically connected thereto as shown in phantom in FIG. 10.
In the connector 31, the terminal portion 34 is inserted until the distal end of the terminal portion 34 is brought into engagement with an inner end surface 33a of the receiving portion 33, and the resilient-retaining piece portion 42 is retainingly engaged in the opening 32a, thereby preventing the terminal portion 34 from withdrawal from the connector housing 32. Therefore, in the assembled condition in which the terminal portion 34 is received in the receiving portion 33, a clearance L is formed between the resilient-retaining piece portion 42 and a side surface of the opening 32a as shown in FIG. 13.
Therefore, when the mating terminal 44 is inserted into the terminal portion 34 as described above, the terminal portion 34 is moved in accordance with the clearance L, thus causing a relative movement between the terminal portion and the connector housing.
In order to overcome this problem, there have been proposed a construction, in which an increased number of resilient-retaining piece portions are provided, and a construction in which the double retaining is effected. Referring to the construction, having an increased number of resilient-retaining piece portions, in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10, the resilient-retaining piece portions are formed respectively at outer surfaces of the wire clamping piece portions 36. With this construction, although a clearance in a transverse direction can be reduced, a clearance in a longitudinal direction can not be eliminated.
In the construction in which the double retaining is effected, a terminal portion is retained relative to a connector housing, and the terminal portion is retained relative to the connector housing by a completely-retaining member which is separate from or integral with the connector housing. In this construction, the retained condition, achieved by the completely-retaining member, is the completely-retained condition, and during the transfer and production of the connector, the terminal portion is held in a provisionally-retained condition without the use of the completely-retaining member. However, when the completely-retaining member is provided on the connector housing, there have been encountered problems that the completely-retaining member becomes obstructive during the transfer, that the connector fails to be set in an existing automatic wire harness-assembling apparatus, and that the terminal portion is completely retained by the completely-retaining member during the transfer.
The above connector 31 is designed to connect a wire of a power source or the like. There is also known the type of connector designed to connect a shielded wire. Such a shield connector is designed to connect conductors together and also to connect shielded wires together, and therefore has a larger number of component parts as compared with the above connector. Therefore, clearances between members increase a total clearance between a connector housing and a terminal portion, and because of this increased clearance, a relative movement between the terminal portion and the connector housing, occurring when connecting the mating connector to the terminal portion, is large.